Sash fastener



H. H. SMITH SASH FASTENER May 1, 1934.

Filed July 10, 1935 4 WWW a l m m w i Patented May 1, 1934 UNETED STATS PATENT OFFICIE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to window sash holders or fasteners and more particularly to that kind of holder or fastener which is adapted to be secured to one sash of a window assembly and adapted to cooperate with the other sash for producing a binding locking effect when it is attempted to move either sash to open position, yet permitting free movement of either sash from an open or partially open position towards its closed position.

A number of fasteners of the broad class generally outlined above has been proposed heretofore, and it will be understood that the present invention, more specifically considered, resides in the provision of a fastener of the kind referred to which, in addition to being of improved general construction, also includes novel features and combinations resulting in operating advantages rendering the fastener more practical than those known heretofore.

An object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the class stated including a bracket, a wedging arm, and a novel and improved connection between the bracket and arm whereby the arm may easily be removed from the bracket when desired, the arrangement being such however as to prevent accidental displacement of the arm due to shocks caused by movement of the window sashes, or to carelessness.

A further object is to provide a fastener of the class referred to including cooperating stops on the bracket and locking arm respectively for preventing the arm from being swung from its looking position to a vertical position, said stop being so positioned as to be shrouded or enclosed by stationary parts whereby the stops cannot catch on curtains or draperies.

Other objects will become apparent from a reading of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing.

in the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a window showing a fastener embodying my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, transverse, vertical, sectional View through a window and showing a fastener embodying my invention applied thereto;

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical, sectional View taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detailed view showing the sash engaging surface of a rubber cap; and

Figure 5 is a View partly in vertical section and partly in elevation of a modified form of fastener embodying my invention.

In Figures 1-4, inclusive, of the accompanying drawing, an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown as being applied to a window, including a lower sash 1 and upper sash 2 and a frame 3, all of conventionl construction.

The illustrative form of sash shown includes a bracket A and a wedging arm B adapted to be connected pivotally to the bracket. The bracket A includes a base 4 provided with two holes for receiving screws 5 for attaching the bracket to the lower sash l, and a pair of spaced vertically extending ears 6-6 adjacent the rear end of the bracket. Each ear is formed with a slot opening toward the front end of the bracket and including an inclined portion 7 extending rearwardly and downwardly from the front face of the ear, and a vertically extending portion 8 communicating at its upper end with the inclined portion 7 and terminating at its lower end in the ear above the base 4.

The arm B is provided at its rear end with a pintle 9 extending outwardly from the respective sides of the arm and adapted to fit in the ear slots for mounting the arm pivotally and removably on the bracket. The front end of the arm 13 is provided with a head upon which is fitted a sash-engaging cap 11 which preferably is of soft rubber with its outer face of generally curved formation and corrugated as at 12.

It is desirable that the arm B be limited in its swinging movement so that such movement Willbe confined to a zone between its operative sash-engaging position and a vertical position, and to this end, I provide cooperating stops on the arm and bracket. In the form shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, a stop projection 13 on the rear end of the arm B is adapted to engage the rear edge 14 of the base when the arm is swung to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2.

In use, the bracket A is secured to the top of the lower sash 1 adjacent one side thereof, preferably with the forward end of the base projecting over and beyond the joint between the meeting rails of the upper and lower sashes. The arm 13 is then positioned with its pintle 9 journaled in the bottom of the ear slots, the weight of the arm urging the latter in a clock-wise direction causing the rubber cap to rest against the upper sash 2. It will be apparent that if it is attempted either to raise the lower sash or to lower the upper sash, the arm B, intending to move towards a horizontal position, will produce a wedging or binding action serving efclosing the window.

fectually to lock both sashes. On the other hand, assuming that one or the other sashes be in open position, it may be moved easily to closed position since with such relative movement of the sashes, the rubber cap 12 on the arm B tends to swing away from the upper sash, riding freely thereon.

The projection 13 on the arm B serves to prevent the latter from being swung to a vertical position, thus insuring that the arm always Will be in such position that its own weight will maintain the cap 12 in engagement with the upper sash. By virtue of this arrangement, it is impossible for a person carelessly to leave the arm swung back past the vertical inoperative position.

I have found from experience that in order to assure that there can be no accidental displacement of the pintle 9 from the ear slots, it is necessary that the slots include the vertically extending portions 8. Where only the inclined portion is used, the pintle can be displaced from the slots rather easily by jars occasioned by Furthermore, if only a straight slot (either vertical or inclined) were provided in each ear, application of the finger to the stop 13 for the purpose of disengaging the arm B from the upper sash would be likely to kick the arm forwardly and/or upwardly and to disengage the pintle 9 from the slots. The slots having the novel form in accordance with my invention, i. e., including in combination the vertical portions 8 and the inclined portions '7, prevent such accidental displacement of the pintle.

The soft corrugated rubber sash-engaging cap provides for an efiicient, non-slipping, frictional grip of the arm B with the upper sash without marring the latter, and the edge portion 15 of the base extending over the joint between the meeting rails constitutes a safeguard against the insertion of a knife or other thin instrument for surreptitiously disengaging the lock from outside the window.

It will readily be appreciated that fasteners of the character described should be so constructed as to present no sharp edges, corners or projections with which lace curtains or other draperies may become entangled. In the form of fastener shown in Figure 5, the stops for limiting movement of the arm B are disposed between the ears 6 so as to be shielded from hanging curtains or draperies. As shown in this form, the base 4 of the bracket A is provided with an upstanding pror jection 16, disposed directly between the ears 6,

and the rear end of the arm B is formed with a stop projection 17 adapted to cooperate with the stop 16 and being so positioned on the arm B that it will be disposed completely between the ears 6 irrespective of the angular position of the arm relative to the base. The cars 6 and base 4' having rounded edges and corners constitute a housing or shroud for the projections which prevent curtains or the like from becoming entangled with the stops and thereby torn.

Although the embodiments of my invention, shown by way of illustration, are considered practical and the at present preferred forms of the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the specific construction of the parts and their relative arrangement without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sash fastener comprising a base provided with substantially vertically extending spaced ears each formed with a slot including an inclined portion extending rearwardly and downwardly from the front surface portion of the ear, and a vertically extending portion communicating at its upper end with said inclined portion and terminating in said ear above said base; a removable wedging lever having its rear end portion adapted to fit between said ears; and a pintle on the rear end portion of said arm adapted to fit in said slots for mounting said arm for pivotal movements.

2. A sash fastener comprising a base member; a wedging arm member; and means for detachably mounting said arm member on said base member for pivotal movements comprising a pintle on one of said members adapted to fit in a slot in said other member, said slot including an inclined portion and a vertically extending portion.

3. A sash fastener comprising a bracket including spaced vertically extending ears; 2. wedging arm having its rear end portion disposed between said ears; means for connecting said rear end portion to said ears; a stop on said bracket between said ears; and a stop projection on the rear end of said wedging arm adapted to cooperate with said bracket stop for preventing said arm from being swung from its wedging position to a perpendicular position, said stop projection being so positioned on said arm that it will be disposed completely between said ears irrespective of the angular position of said arm.

4. A sash fastener comprising a bracket including a base plate provided with a pair of spaced vertically extending ears adjacent to the rear end of the bracket, the ears being formed with slots extending rearwardly and downwardly, and then vertically downwardly and opening toward the front of the bracket, and a removable wedging arm having its rear end portion adapted to fit between said ears, a pintle on said arm adapted to fit in said slots for removably mounting said arm for pivotal movement, a stop projection at the rear end of said arm engageable with said bracket for preventing said arm from being swung from its wedging position to a vertical position, said projection thereby assuring movement by gravity of said arm to wedging position when said pintle is inserted in said slots.

HURLEY H. SMITH. 

